A level Geography

I'm debating whether to choose it or not, because...
1) In GCSE (taken in year 9) Despite my Controlled Assessment being a grade B, my teacher put me on for foundation although I asked to be on higher, I could of got a B. My prospective college asks for a grade B or above in the subject in order to get in.
2) I found the physical side of it difficult.
Anyone had/has this dilemma? What do you recommend? Is a grade B at GCSE strong enough?

Reply 1

moggington

13

Original post by Caver

I'm debating whether to choose it or not, because...
1) In GCSE (taken in year 9) Despite my Controlled Assessment being a grade B, my teacher put me on for foundation although I asked to be on higher, I could of got a B. My prospective college asks for a grade B or above in the subject in order to get in.
2) I found the physical side of it difficult.
Anyone had/has this dilemma? What do you recommend? Is a grade B at GCSE strong enough?

If your prospective college asks for a B and you have achieved this in GCSE Geography, you’ll be fine. A lot of sixth forms/colleges don’t see it as a requirement, and almost everyone in my A Level class bar two of us started it as a new subject, so I definitely think a B grade will be strong enough.

A lot of students struggle with the physical side of geography, or just despise it. It will get harder at A Level, but smaller classes mean that there’s a lot more support available to you should you not understand. You’ll probably have a teacher who specializes in physical geography to teach you that side of the syllabus too, which is always helpful. Personally, I found physical geography easier at A Level than I did at GCSE because I found you only really needed to explain a concept rather than actually understand it.

Invest in a revision book at the start of term so that you've got an alternative source to turn to if you don't understand something. If you only use one textbook in class, buying the other one available can be useful too, although they're usually £20+ so only purchase one if you know you'll actually gain something from it. In terms of revision books, CGP are best for general guidance as they explain concepts clearly and concisely, but for exam preparation, the Student Unit Guides for the relevant unit and exam board alongside your notes/textbook are best.

Reply 2

skd1996

17

Original post by Caver

I'm debating whether to choose it or not, because...
1) In GCSE (taken in year 9) Despite my Controlled Assessment being a grade B, my teacher put me on for foundation although I asked to be on higher, I could of got a B. My prospective college asks for a grade B or above in the subject in order to get in.
2) I found the physical side of it difficult.
Anyone had/has this dilemma? What do you recommend? Is a grade B at GCSE strong enough?

I did A-Level geography and I enjoyed it so much that I'm off to study it in September at University! So I definitely recommend it!

I would say that a B at GCSE is certainly strong enough, in my class we had a range of GCSE results- from C to A*, yet everyone managed to cope with the course material and understand it. Many topics in the first year build on GCSE knowledge and gets everyone up to the same level (depending on what you studied at GCSE/What exam board you're on). The second year is mainly topics that you would have not studied before, but I personally found them a lot more interesting and exciting!

I enjoy human geography a lot more than physical geography, however both sides are probably equally as difficult at A-Level. AS isn't too demanding, where as A2 is more demanding. Even if you found physical geography difficult, you can easily find resources online or in books that make it much easier to understand!

I 100% recommend it, it was my favourite A-Level subject, even though I had chosen it last minute and hadn't expected to continue it to A2.

Reply 3

Katie97

9

AS is a fresh start. I got a B at GCSE and it's been my favourite subject this year.

Reply 4

Katie97

9

Original post by skd1996

I did A-Level geography and I enjoyed it so much that I'm off to study it in September at University! So I definitely recommend it!

I would say that a B at GCSE is certainly strong enough, in my class we had a range of GCSE results- from C to A*, yet everyone managed to cope with the course material and understand it. Many topics in the first year build on GCSE knowledge and gets everyone up to the same level (depending on what you studied at GCSE/What exam board you're on). The second year is mainly topics that you would have not studied before, but I personally found them a lot more interesting and exciting!

I enjoy human geography a lot more than physical geography, however both sides are probably equally as difficult at A-Level. AS isn't too demanding, where as A2 is more demanding. Even if you found physical geography difficult, you can easily find resources online or in books that make it much easier to understand!

I 100% recommend it, it was my favourite A-Level subject, even though I had chosen it last minute and hadn't expected to continue it to A2.

That's the same as me! I wasn't even going to chose it for AS but now I might do it as uni! What uni are you going to?

Reply 5

nadinelia11

2

I love geography! I did it for A level and am going on to study it at uni in September!! The B should be fine, I had people in my class who had a C at GCSE. As long as you work hard-throughout the year, not just coming up to exam time- you should be fine :smile:

Personally, I prefer the physical aspect but I agree that there are more concepts to get your head round than with physical!! What exam board does your school/college do? I know the WJEC course is roughly an even balance between physical and human so it plays to everyone's strengths. I hope this helps and you enjoy your study of geography.

Any questions just feel free to ask :smile:

N x

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A level Geography

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